After heavy snowfall, Oakland to see short break from freezing temperatures — then more cold

Oakland County is going to get a short break from the cold — but it won’t come without more snow, according to the National Weather Service.

“We’ll get some heavy snow tonight starting between 7 p.m. and midnight,” said Sara Schultz, meteorologist at the White Lake weather service office, on Monday.

“The area will have a winter weather advisory, but it will be ending at 4 a.m. Oakland County should see 3-6 inches overnight.”

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The City of Auburn Hills declared a snow emergency, in anticipation of the winter weather, effective at Monday night.

“Due to the snow emergency, there will be no parking allowed on streets in residential neighborhoods after 6:00 pm tonight. This will allow city workers to clear the roads as quickly as possible,” said public safety officials in a media release, which warned that cars parked on neighborhood streets could be towed. Abandoned vehicles along I-75, M-59 and major roadways will be towed, as well, authorities said.

Once the snow has fallen, the region should be looking at warmer temperatures — if only for a few days. Tuesday and Wednesday is expected to be in the high 30s — around 38 degrees — while Thursday’s high is expected to be around 42.

There’s also a chance of rain on Thursday, said Schultz.

“Keep an eye out on potential flooding possibilities,” she said. “That, of course, will depend on the amount of rain we get.”

The weather service hasn’t predicted how much rain the area will get Thursday, explained Schultz, “because we need to get through this weather system first.”

Dropping temperatures and lingering snow showers are a possibility on Friday and Saturday, and temperatures should fall back to freezing and below towards the end of the weekend.

The thing people need to be aware of immediately is the overnight snowfall, which will affect the Tuesday morning commute, Schultz said.

The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center’s one-month outlook shows temperatures below normal in March, so Southeast Michigan may see more of the same for some time.

Monday, temperatures were expected to be in the mid-20s, with mostly cloudy skies and wind chills down to around -11.

About the Author

John Turk covers the police beat and the Oakland County Board of Commissioners for The Oakland Press. He is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University. Reach the author at john.turk@oakpress.com
or follow John on Twitter: @jrturk.